Bochnia & Salt Mines

Bochnia is considered the oldest town in Little Poland. Already in 1253, Boleslaw the Bashful gave Bochnia town rights. It was inextricably linked to the discovery of rock salt, which occurred a few years earlier. An additional advantage of the city, was its location at the intersection of trade routes north-south and east-west. These factors have fostered the rapid and dynamic development of the city, which earned further royal privileges. Bochnia was such an important place for the polish state it received more privileges than any other polish town.

Tourist attractions of the town:

Basilica of St. Nicholas is the oldest and largest church in Bochnia. It was built in the mid-fifteenth century, on the site of an earlier temple. Initially, it was a temple built in the Gothic style, but was unfortunately damaged by fire and during the invasion of "Swedish Deluge." Destruction was so great that the church has been rebuilt in the baroque style. Currently, the church is decorated with well-preserved Gothic facade, which invites visitors inside. And there we can admire the richness of the baroque and rococo style. Of considerable interest is the fact that the neo-Gothic furniture and murals in the chapel of St. Kinga were designed in the late nineteenth century by a famous polish painter Jan Matejko. Besides the church stands a very large, wooden bell tower from the early seventeenth century. It is included in Little Poland’s trail of Wooden Architecture.

Location and Other Attractions in the Area

Bochina and the Bochnia Salt mines are located just over 40 km to the east of Krakow. When driving to Bochina from Krakow the fastest and easiest way is to leave Krakow and enter the A4 ring road around krakow, east bound direction.

Distances to Bochnia & Bochnia Salt Mines from:

Krakow:41kmZakopane:115kmOświęcim:109km

Other Attractions in the area:

The Wieliczka Salt Mines are located just outside of Krakow in Wieliczka. You can travel here from Krakow by using public transport or joining one of the many tour groups that are organized from Krakow.

Sts. Leonard's church in Lipnica Murowana is located about 20km south of Bochnia on road number 966 heading south also The Church of Sts. Philip and James the Apostles in Lipnica Murowana. Lipnica Murowana is located about 20km south of Bochnia on road number 966 heading south is located in the same area.

The Ojcowski National Park is located about 45km away from Bochnia to the north of Krakow. The Ojcowski National Park is the smallest national park in Poland, covering a total area of only 2145ha.

Krakow Historical center is located just over 40km away from the salt mines in Bochnia and hold a wealth of attractions for most travelers. One of the newest attractions is an underground museum.

Bochnia Salt Mine is the oldest salt mine in Poland. Currently, it is no longer in operation, but the salt was mined as early as the mid-thirteenth century to 1990 without any breaks. It is also known as the oldest industrial plant in Europe. Currently, Bochnia Salt Mine is awaiting placement on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The main tour takes approximately two hours and includes, among other attractions; the oldest Sutoris shaft, numerous chambers, where there are great exhibitions of machinery and mining tools, and the beautiful chapel of St. Kinga. An unusual tourist attraction on the route of this mine, is punting in a chamber flooded with brine, which is located 230 meters below the earth surface. There are also interesting sports events held here, such as; an underground 12-Hour Relay Race, and a cycling competition "The Salt Downhill." Due to the microclimate of salt chambers, in 1995 there was established a health resort here. It is estimated that the air in the Bochnia mine is about 10-times cleaner than the air at the surface.

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